Inspection vent

ABSTRACT

An inspection vent on a building includes a frame and a vented door section that is vented to allow air flow through the vented door. A hinge connects the vented door section to the frame. Flame resistant material within the vented door section stops fire while allowing air flow for ventilation through the inspection vent. A latch is shut to hold the vented door section closed against the frame and is released to allow opening of the vented door section for a visual inspection of a portion of the building.

BACKGROUND

In June of 2015, six students in the San Francisco Bay Area fell totheir deaths and seven more were seriously injured because of a balconythat collapsed. The balcony was apparently not flashed properly. Thisallowed moisture to access the supporting cantilevered wood orengineered wood members of the balcony at the most critical location,which is the location directly over the supporting wall below. Themoisture infiltration resulted in the wood or engineered wood supportingmembers rotting. No regular inspection of the balcony integrity wasperformed or was practical to perform, so the rot was not detectedbefore failure occurred.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows inspection vents placed under balconies in accordance withan implementation.

FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 shows different viewsand details of an inspection vent in accordance with an implementation.

FIG. 8 shows different sized inspection vents optimized for particularimplementations.

FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 shows different views and details of aninspection vent placed on a wall or ceiling in accordance with animplementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an inspection vent 20 placed under a balcony 102.Inspection vent 20 includes a locking latch 21 and a locking latch 22,which allow inspection vent 20 to be opened for visual inspection ofsupporting cantilevered wood or engineered wood members of balcony 102at a location of balcony 102 directly over the supporting wall below.

FIG. 1 also shows an inspection vent 10 placed under a balcony 101.Inspection vent 10 includes a locking latch 11 and a locking latch 12,which allow inspection vent 10 to be opened for visual inspection ofsupporting cantilevered wood or engineered wood members of balcony 101at a location of balcony 101 directly over the supporting wall below.

FIG. 2 shows that inspection vent 10 includes a frame 15 and a venteddoor section 14 connected to frame 15 by a hinge 13. Keys 18 are showninserted in locking latch 11 and locking latch 12 allowing the openingvented door section 14 for visual inspection of supporting cantileveredwood or engineered wood members of balcony 101 at a location of balcony101 directly over the supporting wall below. For example, frame 15 iscomposed of stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum or some otherlong-lasting material that is impervious or resistant to corrosion andis not easily destroyed by fire. For example, hinge 13 is composed ofstainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum or some other long-lastingmaterial that is impervious or resistant to corrosion and is not easilydestroyed by fire. For example, vented door section 14 is composed ofstainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum or some other long-lastingmaterial that is impervious or resistant to corrosion and is not easilydestroyed by fire. Vented door section 14 is perforated or otherwisevented to allow air flow through vented door section 14.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show different views of vented door section 14 beingopened to reveal a latch portion of locking latch 11 and a latch portionof locking latch 12. Flame resistant material 16 is installed and heldin place by vented door section 14. Flame resistant material 16 stopsfire but permits air flow to allow ventilation. For example, flameresistant material 16 is composed of a honeycomb matrix such as theVulcan Vent® fire stopping matrix, coated aluminum honeycomb andstainless steel mesh available from Vulcan Technologies. For example,screws placed in holes drilled in frame 15 are used for installation ofinspection vent 10 to the underside of joists which hold up balcony 101

FIG. 5 shows a view of vented door section 14 of inspection vent 10having been opened to reveal detail of hinge 13.

FIG. 6 shows a view of vented door section 14 of inspection vent 10being opened to reveal how a bend in vented door section 14 provides acontainer to hold flame resistant material 16.

FIG. 7 shows a view of vented door section 14 of inspection vent 10being opened to reveal that flame resistant material 16 has been removedfrom vented door section 14. Key 18 is shown placed within locking latch12.

FIG. 8 shows three vents of different sizes used for differentapplications. For example, an inspection vent 30 includes a lockinglatch 31, a frame 35 and a vented door section 34 connected to frame 35by a hinge 33. An inspection vent 40 includes a locking latch 41, alocking latch 42, a locking latch 49, a frame 45 and a vented doorsection 44 connected to frame 45 by a hinge 43. As described above,inspection vent 10 includes locking latch 11, locking latch 12, frame 15and a vented door section 14 connected to frame 15 by a hinge 13.

While FIG. 8 shows a locking latch 11, locking latch 12, locking latch31, locking latch 41, locking latch 49 and a locking latch 42, inresidential applications, a lock may not be necessary. For theapplications where a locking latch is not necessary or desired, thelocking latch may be replaced by a latch that does not require a key toopen a vented door or to secure a vented door section shut against aframe. Such a latch may be shut to hold a vented door section closedagainst a frame and may be released to allow opening of a vented doorsection for a visual inspection.

In addition, locking latches that do not use a key may also be used. Forexample, a security coin turn lock may be used, a tubular cam lock maybe used, or any other type of latch, locking or not, may be used that isable to hold a vented door section closed against a frame.

FIG. 9 shows inspection vent 30 in position for mounting on the exteriorof a wall. For example, inspection vent 30 allows inspection of wood orother material within the wall. A key 38 is shown within locking latch31.

FIG. 10 shows inspection vent 30 in an open position with locking latch31 removed, revealing a hole 39. Flame resistant material 36 isinstalled and held in place by vented door section 34. Flame resistantmaterial 36 permits air flow to allow ventilation. For example, flameresistant material 36 composed of a honeycomb matrix consisting ofcoated aluminum honeycomb and stainless steel mesh. A screen mesh 37 isplaced between flame resistant material 36 and vented door section 34 toprevent insects from accessing flame resistant material 36. A hand 50illustrates separating flame resistant material 36 from screen mesh 37and vented door section 34 for visual inspection.

FIG. 11 shows inspection vent 30 in position for mounting on a ceiling.For example, inspection vent 30 allows inspection of wood or othermaterial within the ceiling. Key 38 is shown within locking latch 31. InFIG. 11, vented door section 34 of inspection vent 30 is shown opened toreveal that flame resistant material 36 and screen mesh 37 have beenremoved from vented door section 14 for illustrating purposes.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplarymethods and embodiments. As will be understood by those familiar withthe art, the disclosed subject matter may be embodied in other specificforms without departing from the spirit or characteristics thereof.Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, butnot limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A method to detect moisture penetration of supporting members of abuilding balcony, the method comprising: placing on an underside of thebuilding balcony at least one inspection vent that stops fire butpermits airflow to allow ventilation, including: placing the at leastone inspection vent at one or more locations on the underside of thebuilding balcony that allow inspection of the supporting members, sothat each of the at least one inspection vent includes: a frame, avented door section that is vented to allow air flow through the venteddoor, a hinge that connects the vented door section to the frame, flameresistant material within the vented door section, the flame resistantmaterial resisting fire while allowing air flow for ventilation throughthe inspection vent, and a locking latch that is locked to hold thevented door section closed against the frame and is unlocked to allowthe vented door section to open for a visual inspection of supportingcantilevered wood or engineered wood members of the balcony; andperiodically opening the inspection vent to inspect the supportingmembers of a building balcony, including: checking for moisturepenetration of the supporting members of the building balcony.
 2. Amethod as in claim 1, wherein the inspection vent additionally includesa mesh screen placed between the flame resistant material and the venteddoor.
 3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the frame, the vented door andthe hinge are composed of stainless steel.
 4. A method as in claim 1,wherein the frame, the vented door and the hinge are composed ofgalvanized steel or aluminum.
 5. A method as in claim 1, wherein theflame resistant material comprises a coated aluminum honeycomb matrix.6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the locking latch is one of aplurality of locking latches. 7-14. (canceled)
 15. A method to detectdamage to supporting structure of a building, the method comprising:placing an inspection vent that stops fire but permits airflow to allowventilation at a location on the building that when open allowsinspection of the supporting structure, wherein, the inspection ventincludes: a frame, a vented door section that is vented to allow airflow through the vented door, a hinge that connects the vented doorsection to the frame, flame resistant material within the vented doorsection, the flame resistant material resisting fire while allowing airflow for ventilation through the inspection vent, and a latch that isshut to hold the vented door section closed against the frame and isreleased to allow opening of the vented door section for a visualinspection of a portion of the building; periodically opening theinspection vent to inspect the supporting structure of the building formoisture penetration.
 16. A method as in claim 15, additionallycomprising: a mesh screen placed between the flame resistant materialand the vented door.
 17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the frame, thevented door and the hinge are composed of stainless steel.
 18. A methodas in claim 15, wherein the frame, the vented door and the hinge arecomposed of galvanized steel or aluminum.
 19. A method as in claim 15,wherein the flame resistant material comprises a coated aluminumhoneycomb matrix.
 20. A method as in claim 15, wherein inspection ventis located on an underside of a balcony of the building.
 21. Aninspection vent that stops fire but permits airflow to allowventilation, the inspection vent comprising: a frame; a vented doorsection that is vented to allow air flow through the vented door; ahinge that connects the vented door section to the frame; a coatedaluminum honeycomb matrix within the vented door section, the coatedaluminum honeycomb matrix being flame resistant material that resistsfire while allowing air flow for ventilation through the inspectionvent, and, a locking latch that is locked to hold the vented doorsection closed against the frame and is unlocked to allow the venteddoor section to open for a visual inspection of supporting structures ofa building.
 22. A method as in claim 15, additionally comprising: a meshscreen placed between the flame resistant material and the vented door.23. A method as in claim 15, wherein the frame, the vented door and thehinge are composed of stainless steel.
 24. A method as in claim 15,wherein the frame, the vented door and the hinge are composed ofgalvanized steel or aluminum.
 25. A method as in claim 15, whereininspection vent is located on an underside of a balcony of the building.